Shoe-cleaner.



G. NARANGB.

SHOE CLEANER.

APPLICATION FILLED o0'r.11,1909.

Patented May 31, 1910.

WITNESSES .matter from the bottoms of shoes.

UEQEEED STATES PATENT @FFEQE GEORGE NARANOE, OF ST. JOSEPH, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF T0 THOMAS J. SMITH, OF ST. JOSEPH, MISSOURI.

SHOE-CLEANER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE NARANCE, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Joseph, in the county of Buchanan and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shoe-Cleaners, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

My invention relates to improvements in that class of shoe cleaners which are used for removing foreign matter from the outer surfaces of foot-wear, such as shoes, boots and the like; and the objects of my improvements are, first; to provide a neat, simple, substantial and durable shoe cleaner, by the use of which foot-wear can be easily and thoroughly cleaned in the minimum amount of time, second; to so arrange and construct the part-s of a shoe cleaner, that ordinary brushes can be used therein, and so that said brushes can be easily and quickly removed from said cleaner, for cleaning, or replacing new brushes, and that said brushes shall be transposable as to position, for straighten ing and evenly wearing the bristles of the same, third; to so form the parts of a shoe cleaner, that they shall be extremely cheap in cost of manufacture.

I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a top plan. Fig. 2 is a vertical section, on the line X X seen in Fig. 1, looking toward the left. Fig. 3 is a side elevation, looking toward the right. Fig. at is a view in detail, of one of the brush fasteners. F ig. 5 is an enlarged bottom plan in detail, of one of the brush thimbles.

Base 1 has the sides 2 and 3, projecting upward from the opposite edges thereof. Extending horizontally from the upper edge of side 2 to the upper edge of side 3, are the scrapers 1, adapted to scrape foreign Extending upward from said base 1 is the bracket post 5. Brush post 6 extends upward from the upper edge portion of side 2. All of the described parts, for cheapness in cost of manufacture, are preferably formed of one iron casting.

Base 1 has apertures 7 formed therethrough, through which screws 8 are passed and screwed into any fixed support or floor 9. Scrapers 4 have their sides inclined as Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 11, 1909.

Patented May 31, 1910.

Serial No. 522,079.

indicated by dotted lines 4 in Fig. 2. Swing bracket 10 has brush post 11 and bracket thimble 12 formed therewith. Said thimble is provided with inward flange 12 formed with the lower end thereof, rotatably mounted on the lower portion of bracket post 5, while the upper end of thimble 12 is rotatably held in place, by cap 13, the lower portion of which is inserted in the upper end of said thimble. The upper portion of cap 13 is provided with thumb levers 13. Said cap is secured on bracket post 5, by pin 14 which is passed through an aperture through the sides of said cap, and through one of two apertures 14-, formed at right angles to each other, through the upper end portion of said post. Said cap is rotatable on said post for adjusting the tension of spiral, torsion spring 15, and is secured in any one of four adjustments by said pin 14, thus providing tension adjusting means whereby the tension of said spring is adjusted. Said spring encircles bracket post- 5, in thimble 12. The lower end 16, of said spring is secured in an aperture through the lower portion of said thimble, while the upper end 17, of said spring is secured in an aperture through cap 13; thus providing adjustable elastic rotating means, whereby thimble 12 is so rotated that the free end of bracket 10 is rotated and pressed against side 3.

Brush thimbles 18 and 19 are rotatably mounted and secured on brush posts 6 and 11 respectively, and are each provided with securing means and adjustable elastic rotating means, and since the same are exactly like the said means previously described in their construction and operation, a detailed description of said means, is deemed unnecessary. Brush thimble 18 is provided with stop 18, which, (by the described rotating means, in said thimble), is normally pressed against projection 2, formed on side 2, (see Fig. 3,) for limiting the rotation of thimble 18, while brush thimble 19 is provided with a similar stop 19, (see Fig. 1,) which in like manner is normally pressed against projection 10, on bracket 10, for limiting the rotation of thimble 19. Brush thimbles 18 and 19 are each provided with a brush carrier 20, formed thereon of tapered, dovetailed shape, adapted to snugly fill and engage dovetailed channel 21 in brush fastener 21 seen in'Fig. 4. One of said brush fasteners is secured to the usual wooden back of each of the ordinary brushes 18 and 19" by screws 22, thereby providing substantial and durable detachable fastening means, whereby said brushes are detachably fastened to said brush carriers 20.

In installation, base 1 is secured by screws 8 to the door step, porch floor, or any other fixed object, found most convenient; the tensions of the spiral, torsion springs 15 are adjusted, and secured, as previously described.

In operation, the wearer of the shoe, (not shown,) which is to be cleaned, places said shoe between brushes 18 and 19 with the sole of said shoe resting on scrapers a, with the heel of said shoe, over the central one of screws 8, and draws said shoe in the di rection indicated by arrow 23, (see Fig. 1,) thereby scraping foreign matter Qet from the bottom of said shoe. Said foreign matter gravitates from said scrapers onto fioor 9. At the same time, and by the same movement of said shoe, the sides thereof are drawn past bristles 18 and 19 of said brushes, thereby removing foreign matter 24 from the sides of said shoe.

It will readily be understood, that pressure of the sides of said shoe against said bristles, in the described passage of said shoe causes brushes 18 and 19 to rotate on their respective brush posts, in the direction indicated by arrows 18 and 19 respectively, seen in Fig. 1. It will also be understood that the described rotation of said' brushes overcomes the tension of their elastic rot-ating means, and that after said shoe has passed said brushes, their described rotating means, cause said brushes to rotate back to normal position, seen in Fig. 1.

It will be seen and understood that should said shoe be extremely wide, the previously described passage of same will force brush 19 toward the right, supported on swing bracket 10, thereby overcoming the tension of the previously described bracket rotating means, and rotating said bracket on bracket post 5. After said wide shoe has passed said brushes said brushes and bracket are rotated to normal position (seen in Fig. 1) by their elastic rotating means as described.

It will be further seen, that foreign matter 24, on floor 9, may readily be swept therefrom in the usual manner, without obstruc tion.

Brushes 18 and 19", together with their fasteners 21, for convenience in leaning said brushes, and for replacement of new brushes, when required, are removed, as described.

/Vhen bristles 18 and 19, from frequent use, become inclined toward the direction indicated by arrow 23, said brushes are removed as described and transposed in their relative positions, thereby reversely inclining said bristles which are straightened by subsequent use, thus providing ready means for insuring even wearing of said bristles.

Having fully described by invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a shoe cleaner, the combination with a base and two sides and a plurality of scrapers, supported by said sides, of a fixed brush post, projecting upward from one of said sides, said brush post having a plural ity of apertures formed transversely through the upper end portion thereof; a brush thimble, a brush secured thereto, said thimble being rotatably mounted on said post; a cap rotatably mounted on said post, said cap being adapted to rotatably hold the upper end of said thimble in place; a spiral torsion spring in said thimble and encircling said post, the lower end of said spring being secured to said thimble and the upper end thereof secured to said cap, and a pin extending through said cap and through one of said apertures through said post; a projection on said side and a stop on said thimble, adapted to contact said projection and thereby limit the rotation of said thimble.

2. In a shoe cleaner, the combination with a base and two sides projecting upward at opposite edges of said base and a plurality of shoe scrapers, supported by the upper edges of said sides, of a bracket post projecting upward from said base and formed therewith, said bracket post having a plurality of apertures formed transversely through the upper end portion thereof; a bracket provided with a bracket thimble formed therewith, said bracket thimble being rotatably mounted on said bracket post; a cap rotatably mounted on said post, said cap being adapted to rotatably hold the up per end of said thimble in place; a spiral torsion spring in said thimble and encircling said bracket post, the lower end of said spring being secured to said bracket thimble and the upper end thereof secured to said cap and a pin extending through said cap and through one of said apertures through said bracket post; said bracket be ing adapted to be rotated into contact with one of said sides and thereby limit the rotation of said bracket.

3. In a shoe cleaner, a bracket post having a bracket rotatably mounted thereon, and a spring on said bracket post for actuating said bracket; a brush post, projecting upward from the free end of said bracket and formed therewith, said brush post having a plurality of apertures formed transversely through the upper end portion thereof; a brush thimble, adapted to carry an ordinary brush secured thereto, said thimble being rotatably mounted on said post; a cap rotatably mounted on said post, said cap being adapted to rotatably hold the upper end of said thimble in place; a spiral torsion spring in said thimble and encircling said brush post, the lower end of said spring being secured to said thiinble and the upper end thereof secured to said cap, and a pin extending through said cap and through one of said apertures through said post; a projection on said bracket and a stop on said thimble, adapted to contact said projection and thereby limit the rotation of said thimble.

4:. In a shoe cleaner, in combination, a pair of brush posts, brush thimbles rotatably mounted, one on each of said posts, a brush carrier of tapered dovetailed shape, formed with each of said thimbles, a brush fastener, adapted to be secured by screws on the back of an ordinary brush, said brush fastener having a tapered dovetailed channel therein, adapted to fit either of said brush carriers and being provided with screws whereby said fastener is secured on said back of said brush.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE NARANGE.

Witnesses:

THOMAS J. SMITH, JOHN J. HINTON. 

